CityLab Daily: Who Drives the Uber Drivers?

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What We’re Following

Designated drivers: When Uber throws a party, who drives the drivers? The ride-hailing company discovered this question the hard way on Monday when it invited its gig workers to a drivers’ appreciation dinner at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The invitation promised each driver could bring three guests and that the party would include free parking. Turns out they all drove themselves, resulting in an “unplanned mess,” one would-be attendee told the Chicago Tribune.

The dinner event jammed up traffic and filled up the museum’s parking lot, and at 8:10 p.m. the company sent a text to drivers saying the event was full. Drivers took social media to vent their frustration (Block Club Chicago). It’s just one little rich episode, but it speaks to the big challenges the ride-hailing company and cities face, from keeping drivers happy to increased traffic congestion to the high cost of free parking. Maybe next time, pick a place closer to the L train?

A new report estimates as many as 2,700 heat-related deaths can be prevented in just one city if global temperature rise can be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Linda Poon

Get Wired

(Madison McVeigh/CityLab)

Internet access is essential for modern life, but current policies don’t treat it that way. In this special bonus episode of Technopolis, hosts Jim Kapsis and Molly Turner talk to Maya Wiley about a core piece of the infrastructure for our tech future: broadband. Wiley, a digital equity expert and MSNBC contributor, breaks down the history of broadband access, the severity of the inequity, and what it costs us all when some people just can’t get online. Hear the latest episode of Technopolis: Are we at risk of creating a permanent digital underclass?

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